Improvement in centrifugal gas-purifiers



3Sheets-Sheetl. P. SWEENEY.

CENTRIFUGAL GAS PURIFIER. No.171,963 Patented Jan. 11,1876.

N, PETERS. PHOTO-LITHOGRAFNER, WASNINGYON n C.

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P. SWEENEY.

CENTRIFUGAL GAS PURIFIER. $10,171,963. Patented Jan.1 1,18'76.

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r P. SWEENEY.

CENTRIFUGAL GAS PURIFIER. No.171,963 Patented Jan. 11,1876.

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PETER SWEENEY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM BURGOYNE BISHOP, 0F SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CENTRIFUGAL GAS-PURIFIERS.

Specificationforming part of Letters Patent No. 171,963, dated January 11, 1876; application filed December 24, 1875.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, PETER SWEENEY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have made an invention of anew and useful (Jentrifugal Gas-Purifier for purifying illuminatin g gas and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of this invention is to purify the illuminating-gas produced from coal; and it consists of certain combinations of mechanical devices by means of which the illuminatinggas is forced through and brought into intizmate contact with one or more purifying-liquids, and is freed from the gas tar and other liquid impurities.

n In order thatlny invention may be fully understood, I have represented in the accompanying drawing, and will proceed to describe,

a centrifugal gas-purifier embodying my invention in the best form at present known to In the said drawings, Figure 1 represents a central vertical section of the purifier. Fig. 2 represents a top viewof the same. Fig. 3 represents a horizontal section of the same at the line as m of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal section of the same at the line y 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 represents a horizontal section of the same at the line z z of Fig. 1.

The said purifier is of cylindrical form, and contains two purifying-chambers, 'A B, in which the gas is subjected to the action of pu.

v rifying-liquids. It is traversed by a tubular shaft, 0, whose lower end is stepped upon a pivot at the bottom of of the purifier, and whose upper end passes through a stuffingbox at the top 0 of the purifier. The upper end of this shaft passes into a hollow head, D, through a stuffing-box; and the head is connected with the pipe E, through which the gas to be purified is conducted to the purifier.

ond shaft, G, which is also tubular, and is so fitted to the inner shaft that it is caused to turn with it by frictional contact, but ata lower speed, in consequence of the obstructions to its movement. This outer tubular shaft carries a series of agitators, G to G which consist, in this instance, of perforated diaphragms that are inclosed in a drum, H, which is placed in the first purifyingchamber A. The lower end of this drum incloses the centrifugal wheel F, so that the drum receives all the gas discharged by the latter. The first perforated diaphragm, Gr, above the wheel, has the form of an inverted funnel, so that it collects the gas which rises through the purlfying-liquid, and permits it to escape near the tubular shaft, where openings are made for the purpose. l l

The diaphragms G to G above the lowest one, may be horizontal; but Iprefer to skew them at various angles with the shaft, so as to break upinto bubbles the ascending cur-' rents of gas, to agitate the purifying-liquid, and, by thus agitating the gas and liquid simultaneously, to bring the two into more inti mate contact with each other. I also prefer to make the perforations of the second, fourth,

and sixth diaphragms from the bottom near their peripheries, and the perforations of the other diaphragms near their centers, so as to compel the gas to travel in a circuitous course through the chamber, and thus hold-it in contact with the purifying-liquid for a longer period.-

The first purifying-chamber is surmounted by a bell-formed centrifugal wheel, F, whose under plate g is perforated around the shaft G, to permit the gas to pass to the interior of th'ebell-formed centrifugal wheel F. The cylindrical part h of this wheel dips into the second or exteriorv purifying-chamber B, formed between the upper end j of the cylindrical wall of the first purifying-chamber and the external wall j. The rim of thisbell-formed centrifugal wheel F is fitted with nozzles i, from which the gas is discharged by the centrifugal action due to the turning of the wheel, and the interior of the wheel should be fitted with Wings, to insure the revolution of the gas with the wheel. The top 0 of the purifier is fitted with an escape-pipe, I, for the purified gas. The casing is fitted with a supply-pipe,

J, for the purifying-liquid to the first purify a liquid alone, which may be introduced by' the funnel m; but, if the whole of my inven- .tion is employed, this chamber is filled loosely with sponge N, torn into small pieces, or with other cellular absorbent material, moistened with the purifying-liquid, so as to'expose a large surface to the action of the gas, andv yet to resist the passage of the latter but slightly. The sponge is supported by a perforated diaphragm, r, which also separates, the lower portion S of the second purifying-chamber from the upper portion of it, and thus makes this lower portion into a well for the collection of liquid, as hereinafter described.

If deemed expedient the sponge may be held from contact with the wheel F by means of a perforated cylindrical partition between it and the barrel of the wheel.

The apparatus is got ready for operation by, connecting the liquid supply-pipe J with the hydraulic main of the gas-works, so that the tar and ammoniacal liquor from the latter will flow into thefirst purifying-chamber, and will escape progressively by the escape-pipe.

The second purifying-chamber is either partially filled with the purifying-liquid, or the sponge is moistened with that liquid.

The shaft (J is caused to revolve at a sufficient speed to discharge gas from the centrifwheel, F, which thus forces the gas into the purifying-liquid contained in the purifyingchamber A. As the gasrises it is agitated with the purifying-liquid by means of the perforated diaphragms, and on leaving the upper end of the first chamber it collects in the cavity at the under side of the bell-formed centrifugal wheel F, and enters the cavity I of that wheel through the perforations that form an eye for it. The centrifugal action of this wheel discharges the gas through the second purifying-chamber B, in which it is subjected to the action of the second purifying-liquor. Finally, the purified gas escapes through the pipe I. The purifying-liquid which I prefer to use in the upper purifying-chamber is either the chloride of calcium, the chloride of man ganese, the chloride'of magnesium, or milk of lime; but any other suitable purifying-liquid may be used. The sponge moistened with water alone may be used, or the moistened sponge may be used as a support for pulverulent solid purifying matter, such as the hydrate of lime or the hydrated oxide of iron. The peculiar cellular structure of the sponge is of great advantage, as it presents an immense purifyingsurface to the gas and causes the same to travel in tortuous channels.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the gas is forced through the purifying-liquid by centrifugal action in the same apparatus in which the purifying-liquid is contained, andthus the employment of a. gasexhauster or other gas-forcing mechanism is obviated.

It will also be seen that the gas is thoroughly agitated with the purifying-liquid by the action of the revolving diaphragms in the purifying-chamber A, so that the gas is subdivided into minute bubbles and is brought into intimate contact with the liquid.

The gas is then subjected to the action of the second purifying-liquid contained in the second purifying-chamber B, through whichit is forced, notwithstanding the resistance of the purifying-liquid, by the centrifugal action due to the revolution of the second centrifugal wheel. As the gas is discharged by centrifugal action from the second wheel F into the well S, at the bottom of the second purifying-chamber, it is thrown off tangentially, and whatever particles of tarry or ammoniacal liquid matter are mechanically carried with it from the first purifying-chamber are thrown against the wall of the well S, while the gas rises. Gonsequently these liquid impurities fiow down by gravitation to the bottom of the well, and the gas is freed from them before being subjected to-the second purifying material. The liquid particles thus collected may be permitted to flow from the bottom of the well S by a siphon drain-pipe fitted to a hole, t, in its bottom.

The apparatus above described may be modified as circumstances or the views of different users render expedient. Thus, for example, the centrifugal wheel F may be driven directly by a special belt by extending its tubular shaft through the stuffing-box at the top of the apparatus, and fitting a belt-pulley to it below that of the first centrifugal wheel. The agitating diaphragms of the first purify.- ing-chamber may be drivenwith the second centrifugal wheel, or by a separate belt applied to an extension of their shaft through that of the second wheel, in manner similar to that described for the direct driving of the second centrifugal wheel. The hollow head by which the gas is introduced may be located beneath the bottom of the chamber instead of at its upper end, the hollow shaft in such case being extended through the bottom of the purifier instead of through its top. When the upper purifying-chamber contains sponge or other absolvent or solid material, the top of the chamber should be maderemovable, so as tov permit of the easy withdrawal and replacement of the sponge for the purpose'of washing it, andv wetting it with the purifyingliquid. If it be deemed expedient to effect the last purification of the gas by the action of the spongy oxide of iron instead of by milk of lime or other liquid matter, the upper purifying-chamber may be filled above the perforated diaphragm with such spongy oxide of iron in place of the sponge moistened with the liquid matter, or the oxide of iron in pow der may be sprinkled upon the moistened sponge.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the purifying-chamber, the gasimpelling wheel, the revolving drum confining the gas impelled by said wheel, and the perforated diaphragms revolving with said drum.

2. The combination, substantially as before 3. The combination, substantially as before set forth, of the purifying-chamber, the gasimpelling wheel, the revolving gas-confining drum, the perforated diaphragms revolving with said drum, the second purifying-chamber, and the second gas-impelling wheel which appertains thereto.

4. The combination, substantially as before I set forth, of the gas-purifying chamber containing the porous cellular substance, and the gas-impelling wheel in said chamber for impelling the gas through the said substance therein.

Witness my hand this 20th day of March, A. D. 1875.

PETER SWEENEY.

Witnesses:

W. L. BENNEM, W. H. ISAAGS. 

